Republicans in Congress expressed strong reactions to the Colorado Supreme Court’s opinion prohibiting former President Donald Trump from appearing on the GOP presidential primary ballot in 2024.
The Court, in a 4-3 ruling Tuesday, said that Trump “engaged in insurrection,” despite Trump never having been convicted of that – or any other – crime, or even having been charged in court with the crime of insurrection. He was acquitted by the United States Senate of charges of engaging in insurrection and continues to deny wrongdoing.
Republicans, even several who support other candidates in the 2024 Republican primary, accused the court of subverting democracy and misapplying the Constitution’s “Insurrection Clause” to justify a political end, that of preventing President Joe Biden’s likely opponent from even appearing on the ballot.
Notably, while the top four House Republicans joined an overwhelming number of their colleagues in issuing statements in support of Trump, the only high-ranking Republican Senator to issue a statement was Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), the Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference.
A liberal, activist court just ruled to remove a presidential candidate from the ballot.
— Sen. John Barrasso (@SenJohnBarrasso) December 20, 2023
This is a blatant, political attempt to silence American voters. SCOTUS will rightly dispose of it in an ash heap.
Apparently democracy is when judges tell people they’re not allowed to vote for the candidate leading in the polls? This is disgraceful.
— J.D. Vance (@JDVance1) December 20, 2023
The Supreme Court must take the case and end this assault on American voters. https://t.co/MzJ3dwuv6j
This is the kind of wake-up call we should not ignore.
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) December 20, 2023
Nor is this just another bad, politically motivated ruling.
This is lawless thuggery masquerading as jurisprudence. https://t.co/bZOGsSWHZ9 pic.twitter.com/z9F6B1S7Aj
Removing Trump from the ballot in Colorado under this theory is spurious, likely unconstitutional, & a sadly predictable, but outrageous form of lawfare. SCOTUS should end this. https://t.co/VWJgPMndBi
— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) December 19, 2023
These crazy leftists will do anything to prevent a fair fight at the ballot box. Good luck defending that type of “Democracy” at the Supreme Court.
— Rep. Mike Collins (@RepMikeCollins) December 20, 2023
The attempt to remove President Trump from the 2024 ballot in Colorado is a desperate and despicable move by four radical Democrats.
— Rep. Keith Self (@RepKeithSelf) December 20, 2023
This action only escalates the current division in America.
This is not democracy.
This is 3rd world political interference.
Absolutely ridiculous ruling today by the Colorado Supreme Court. This is judicial lawlessness by partisan hacks, and will quickly be struck down by #SCOTUS.
— Rep. Ralph Norman (@RepRalphNorman) December 20, 2023
Media: “Congressman Higgins, what’s your opinion regarding the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling that Trump cannot be on the Presidential ballot?”
— Rep. Clay Higgins (@RepClayHiggins) December 19, 2023
Me: “It’s Colorado. They’re high. SCOTUS will overrule THC.”
The Colorado Supreme Court’s attempt to remove the leading Republican candidate for President from the state’s ballot is nothing more than a political, partisan attack on our democratic-republic. This action sets a dangerous precedent and should be of grave concern to every…
— Congressman Dan Meuser (@RepMeuser) December 20, 2023
The Colorado Supreme Court just removed President Trump from the ballot heading into 2024.
— Rep. Eric Burlison (@RepEricBurlison) December 19, 2023
Election interference, plain and simple.
This cannot stand! pic.twitter.com/cPlGa11UGs
Democrats love to give us lectures about ‘Our Democracy,’ but they have spent years trying to disqualify the most popular politician in America from getting reelected. This unprecedented court ruling by a bare majority of democrat-appointed activist politicians in robes is an…
— Tommy Tuberville (@TTuberville) December 20, 2023
The veil has been lifted.
— Eric Schmitt (@Eric_Schmitt) December 20, 2023
2024 isn’t just an election between two candidates — it’s about reclaiming our Republic from radical Leftist hellbent on absolute power and control.
The Democrats are perfectly willing to jail opponents, kick them off the ballot, censor speech, add…
Insanity!!! Democrat-appointed judges in Colorado decided to take @realDonaldTrump off of ballot in an obvious attack on democracy. They ruled in favor of the group who brought the suit claiming that removing Trump from the ballot will save democracy.
— Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (@RepDLesko) December 20, 2023
Four partisan Democrat operatives on the Colorado Supreme Court think they get to decide for all Coloradans and Americans the next presidential election. This is unAmerican and Democrats are so afraid that President Trump will win on Nov 5th 2024 that they are illegally…
— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) December 19, 2023
WE THE PEOPLE decide who wins the White House—NOT liberal activist judges.
— Rep. Andrew Clyde (@Rep_Clyde) December 20, 2023
The Colorado Supreme Court has removed President Trump from the ballot under the 14th Amendment.
— Congressman Troy E. Nehls (@RepTroyNehls) December 19, 2023
These justices are a disgrace to our country. The court’s ruling is just more election interference.
America stands with President Trump.
UNBELIEVABLE! This is what the last days of this nation look like!! What the partisan Colorado Supreme Court has done is CORRUPT, OUTRAGEOUS, and UN-AMERICAN!! They KNOW they can’t beat Trump so they’re RIGGING the election. THIS WON’T STAND! WE WILL BEAT THEM! TRUMP WILL BE BACK…
— Ronny Jackson (@RonnyJacksonTX) December 20, 2023
The Colorado Supreme Court is taking away Americans’ voice in our elections.
— Rep. Tom Tiffany (@RepTiffany) December 20, 2023
This brazen election interference should concern every American.
I denounce the Colorado Supreme Court’s outrageous ruling to remove President Trump from the state’s ballot.
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) December 20, 2023
Hopefully sanity will prevail at the U.S. Supreme Court and he will be reinstated.
The Left hates America.
President Trump's return to the Oval Office would put #AmericaFirst while crippling the weaponized administrative state.
— Rep. Eli Crane (@RepEliCrane) December 20, 2023
Leftist judges know this and are despicably willing to silence the voice of We the People to stop it.
For Dems, “democracy” means stopping the voters from voting for candidates you don’t like. https://t.co/JvxZYwaGDw
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) December 20, 2023
Colorado’s decision to remove Trump from the ballot is without a doubt election interference and should concern every American.
— Congressman Josh Brecheen (@RepBrecheen) December 20, 2023
The Supreme Court must overrule.
The decision by the Colorado State Supreme Court to disqualify President Trump from seeking the presidency in Colorado - under the “insurrection clause” of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution - is outrageous and dangerous.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 20, 2023
To the Left: Be careful what you wish…
President Trump will win at SCOTUS and will win even bigger in Colorado now that Democrats have shown their full face of communism to the people.
— Marjorie Taylor Greene 🇺🇸 (@mtgreenee) December 20, 2023
And we must never forget what they have done and how far they are willing to go to steal elections. https://t.co/TkVacVpHt0
The U.S. has put sanctions on other countries for doing exactly what the Colorado Supreme Court has done today
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 19, 2023
The Colorado Resistance judges want to Save Democracy by blocking an election.
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) December 20, 2023
These disgraceful hacks should be condemned by every American—Republican and Democrat.
The Supreme Court should immediately strike down this unAmerican stunt.
With the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision, the self-anointed ‘defenders of democracy’ have removed their political enemy from the ballot, stripping Colorado voters of their right to vote for the candidate of their choice and joining radical AGs and Biden DOJ in interfering in…
— Senator Mike Braun (@SenatorBraun) December 20, 2023
It’s outrageous to see left-wing activists make a mockery of our political system by scheming with partisan state officials to remove presidential candidates from the ballot. That’s why I’ll be introducing legislation to stop this nonsense and ensure any constitutional challenges…
— Senator Thom Tillis (@SenThomTillis) December 20, 2023
Regardless of your political persuasion, denying a candidate even the ability to stand for election is wrong.
— Senator Deb Fischer (@SenatorFischer) December 20, 2023
It’s the right of American voters to support who they wish, but this ruling takes away that right.
This election interference is deeply unAmerican.
Unprecedented: Activist liberal judges just removed @RealDonaldTrump from the ballot in Colorado.
— Tom Emmer (@GOPMajorityWhip) December 20, 2023
This is blatant election interference.
The U.S. Supreme Court must reverse this decision.
Blatant election interference to remove President Trump from the ballot in Colorado. They’re not even trying to hide it anymore. The Left knows Americans don’t want their radical agenda—so this is the only way they can win. Shameful.
— Steve Scalise (@SteveScalise) December 20, 2023
Today’s ruling attempting to disqualify President Trump from the Colorado ballot is nothing but a thinly veiled partisan attack.
— Speaker Mike Johnson (@SpeakerJohnson) December 20, 2023
Regardless of political affiliation, every citizen registered to vote should not be denied the right to support our former president and the… https://t.co/yMm4wTb1K8
Bradley Jaye is a Capitol Hill Correspondent for Breitbart News. Follow him on X/Twitter at @BradleyAJaye.
